When we got to the hotel’s dining room it was clear we were the only ones there. After New Zealand this was the second time we were the only guests in a hotel. We prepared our simple breakfast and got on or way on the sunny but still chilly morning. After a bit more than an hour we had our first stop at the Tateiwa Standing rock. This rock was formed by volcanic activity and stands in the mouth of the Takeno river
As we drove on a coastal road there were several viewing areas along the road overlooking the Sea of Japan and the rock formations .
We continued to Nii Rice fields This time of year farmers begin to prepare the fields by flooding them and then planting the rice but it seems we it’s just a little bit early in the season
Our next stop was very busy as it’s one of the main tourist attractions of the area, Funaya “Fisherman’s/Boat Houses” is a village where houses are build at the edge of the water so fishermen can store their boats underneath their houses to protect them from the elements. The best way to see them is by boat so next to the parking lot we got on a small boat to make the tour of the harbor and surroundings.
Halfway the tour the skipper gave us a few bags with food and by the time we realized what it was for the boat was surrounded by gulls. They came to take the food out of hands or caught it in flight. All of a sudden we it wasn’t just the gulls but several eagles joint the the free buffet. As they are a lot larger and have strong claws we just threw food up and even then we got occasionally touched by their feathers.
Amanohashidate View Land can be reached by monorail or chairlift and offers a nice view of Amanohashidate The location is especially known because people tend to stand with their backs to the bay beneath, bend over and look at the bay “upside down”. This is called “matanozoki” and people do it because when upside down, the bays look like the sky and Amanohashidate becomes a green dragon flying across it.
With no more stops we could get on the expressway to Kyoto and our accommodation, a house at the edge of town from where we will be able to visit the nearby attractions on foot.
Arenden eten geven in vlucht!? Straf!